Convertible combat knife



Nov. 2, 1954 HAY 2,693,361

CONVERTIBLE COMBAT KNIFE Filed Jan. 9, 1952 Fig-2 y/ 222 Walter E. Hay

INVENTOR.

BY 22 adfiwuy 3m United States Patent Office 2,693,361 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 CONVERTIBLE COMBAT KNIFE Walter E. Hay, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 9, 1952, Serial No. 265,561

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-106.5)

This invention relates to a new and useful and improved knife of a dual type which while susceptible of amusement use by marksmen in association with a game or similar target, is primarily adapted for hand-to-hand combat use by commandos and other combat soldiers in executing a raid on enemy forces.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a weapon which may be selectively employed as a handto-hand combat knife on the one hand or, on the other hand, as a missile weapon having a readily detachable handle which, when removed, unsheaths and brings into fplay a novel and practical arrangement of flight directing In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention, radial fins or vanes are attached to the guard equipped or hilt end of a stiletto-like blade by Way of 3 an attaching tang, the latter in axial alignment with said blade. The handle or hand grip is hollow and constitutes a sheath for the fin, and it is detachably latched in place on the guard. When the handle is latched the instrumentality functions as a hand-to-hand combat knife; and, when the handle is unlatched and removed, the knife is then ready to be hurled, whereupon it becomes a socalled missile weapon.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention with a portion shown in section;

Figure 2 is another side elevational view with the handle removed; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like elements throughout the several views, the invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. The invention comprises a stilettolike blade 12. The blade is provided on its upper end portion with a horizontally disposed guard 14 of a substantially elliptical shape which is provided with a pair 1 of air pressure release holes 16, the purpose of which will be hereinafter pointed out. Disposed atop the guard 14, an annular collar 18 is provided. Disposed within the collar 18 in axial alignment with the blade 12 and projecting upwardly beyond the collar is an attaching tang 20 to which are connected three radially extending fins 22, preferably in the individual form of a feather. The fins or vanes are normally encased by a hollow open bottom handle 24, which is provided on its inner surface adjacent its bottom edge with a retention lug 26, which is operatively inserted in a bayonet slot 28 in one side of the collar 18 and opening through the upper peripheral edge of the latter, whereby the handle or fin encasing and protecting sheath may be removably secured on the collar. Additionally, the handle is provided on its inner surface with a spring latch 30 secured at its upper end by rivets 32. A presser button 34 is passed through an aperture 36 in the wall of the handle and the button is rigidly secured to the latch 30 intermediate the ends of the latter. A detent 38 is provided on the lower end portion of the latch 30, and when the handle is fitted over the collar the detent is seated in a keeper seat 40 in the inner face of the collar.

It is obvious that when the handle is fitted over the collar with the retention lug 26 in the bayonet slot 28 and the detent 38 seated in the keeper seat 40, the handle is securely locked, whereby the knife may be employed by a combat soldier in the same manner as a conventional trench knife. However, when it appears desirable the knife can be converted to a missile weapon, in order to put an enemy out of action prior to hand-to-hand combat. For this purpose, the handle may be quickly removed by depressing the presser button 34, thus freeing the detent from the keeper seat, and simultaneously twisting the handle axially and then pulling upwardly, thereby disengaging the retention lug 26 from the bayonet slot 28. With the handle removed the knife may be employed as a missile weapon. This latter function is facilitated by the flight directing fins or vanes 22, and the air pressure release holes 16 the latter aiding in assuring a true flight of the missile weapon.

Inasmuch as other modifications and purposes of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, it will be understood that certain changes in details of design and construction may be carried out within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A missile weapon comprising a sharp pointed stiletto-like blade provided at its hilt end with means one function of which is that of a guard, said means having end portions projecting beyond longitudinal edge portions of said blade, said projecting end portions having constantly open air pressure relief holes therein, a tang secured at one end to the hilt end of said blade and disposed in axial alignment with said blade, and a plurality of individual fins disposed longitudinally alongside of and directly attached to said tang and radiating from the tang and situated at circumferentially spaced points.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, and the combination therewith of a hollow handle sheath-like casing protectively enclosing said fins and having one end abutting said guard means, and means separably attaching said one end of said casing to the hilt end of said blade.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, and the combination therewith of a hollow member enclosing said fins and abutting said guard means and other means separably attaching one end of said member to the said blade, said latter means embodying an annular collar integrally joined with said blade, said one end of said hollow member fitting telescopingly over said collar, and readily accessible manually releasable latch means carried by said member and including a presser button and a detent engageable with a keeper seat provided therefor in a cooperating portion of said collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 239,115 Roeber Mar. 22, 1881 583,133 Thurber May 25, 1897 1,237,330 Hammond Aug. 21, 1917 1,326,021 Calarco Dec. 23, 1919 1,877,100 Wayte Sept. 13, 1932 1,956,875 Paradise May 1, 1934 2,507,019 Johnson May 9, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 594,574 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1947 

